Jose here to discuss the lineup for this year's Cannes Film Festival. I know what I'm about to say isn't "cool" but aren't you tired of Cannes being Oscar's equally traditional but way more highbrow cousin? Why, you ask? During the past decade or so, it's become equally predictable to know what'll be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and what films will show up in the official Cannes lineup.
You don't believe me?
This year alone features films from previous festival winners like Michael Haneke, Ken Loach, Alain Resnais, Jacques Audiard, Carlos Reygadas and Abbas Kiarostami. In fact, out of the 22 films in the "competition" lineup, 11 have been made by directors whose movies have won at least one prize in Cannes before. Yawn.
Yeah, yeah, I know I'm being too picky when the "dullness" in case is brought on by Resnais and Haneke, but whatever happened to film festivals being the way for audiences to discover filmmakers who otherwise would go unnoticed? Even the Un Certain Regard lineup is filled with familiar faces like Xavier Dolan and Pablo Trapero.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's actually rejoice in what are sure to be astonishing entires:
Michael Haneke's last movie won him the Palme D'Or in 2009 and now he's back with an intimate piece called Amour which deals with an aging married couple suddenly struck by tragedy. If the film sounds a bit like it might offer Away From Her tones, just remember Haneke isn't known for his warmth...
Back in 09, Jacques Audiard's A Prophet gave Haneke's film a run for its money at every awards ceremony, including what proved to be the greatest Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars. This time Audiard is back with Rust and Bone a movie with a synopsis that's almost impossible to understand but stars Marion Cotillard and Bullhead's phenomenal Matthias Schoenaerts.
Other entires include Beyond the Hills directed by the maverick Cristian Mungiu and Like Someone in Love, Abbas Kiarostami's "thematic" sequel to Certified Copy.
The full lineup:
Amour Michael Haneke
The Angels' Share Ken Loach
Baad el mawkeaa Yousry Nasrallah
Beyond the Hills Cristian Mungiu
Cosmopolis David Cronenberg
Holy Motors Leos Carax
The Hunt Thomas Vinterberg
Killing Them Softly Andrew Dominik
In Another Country Hong Sang-soo
In the Fog Sergei Loznitsa
Lawless John Hillcoat
Like Someone in Love Abbas Kiarostami
Moonrise Kingdom Wes Anderson
Mud Jeff Nichols
On the Road Walter Salles
The Paperboy Lee Daniels
Matthias Schoenaerts in Rust and Bone
Paradies: Liebe Ulrich Seidl
Post tenebras lux Carlos Reygadas
Reality Matteo Garrone
Rust and Bone Jacques Audiard
Taste of Money Im Sang-soo
You Haven't Seen Anything Yet Alain Resnais
Excited about any of these? What films were you expecting to see in the selection?